Roof



Sept. 13, 1927. R WARDELL 6 23% ROOF Filed July 5, 1923 IN VEN TOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 13, 1927.

1,642,316 PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES HENRY R. WARDELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

JOHNS-MANVILLE CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Application filed July 5,

My invention relates to roofs in general but is particularly designed to produce a structure which shall not only be waterproof,

, but shall also be impervious to fumes,'vapors or gases which might disintegrate the waterproofing elements of the roof structure if allowed free access to them. While my invention hasso far proven itself successful for the above mentioned purpose when apw plied to oil tanks, it is obviously capable of wider applications by changing the materials employed to produce the .desired, resistance to fumes orvapors other than those given off by bodies of liquid hydrocarbon.

The best form of construction at present known to me embodying one example of my invention is illustrated in the-accompanying sheet of drawing which shows a cross section of a roof deck with my invention ap plied thereto, parts being broken away.l-l1, .y' In the drawin 1 represents a portio ot .the roof deck a lar e tank for Storm liquid hydrocarbon, suc as crude oil, em ployed'by pipeline and oil refining companies, which ismade of boards, and 2 is a layer of any suitable flexible fabric, more or less absorbent, such as aper, superimposed on the boards 1. Over this paper is spread a film of silicate of soda 3, which may partly impregnate the paper beneath it, but mainly persists, after hardening, as a continuous film or layer superposed thereon. On top of the foundation so prepared is laced any desired commercial form of roo g 4, now on at the market, havin an asphaltu'm binder, either pre ared r 11 composed of asbestos felt, wool elt, or the like, impregnated with asphaltum, or built-up roofing of like character. a W hen a roof structure of this type is applied to an oil tank the hydrocarbon'vapors generated by the liquid contents of the tank are of considerable volume, especially during hot weather, and the same escape between 45 the adjacent edges of the boards 1 and tend to attack the hydrocarbon content of any superimposed roofing if the same is not protected. This modifies the physical condition of the binder of the roofing 4 and eventually disintegrates the fabric, destroying its. water, proof qualities; As the roof structure ages, the boards 1, 1, dryout and contract, open-. 'ing wider cracks and aggravating the trouble. The continuous gas proof film 3 of silicate of soda or equivalent material em,-

ROOF.

bibulous, and only partly impregnated by the vapor-proof cementitious material associated with, it, is capable of receivin distributing in its body, retaining, an ,dis-. parsing by evaporation, water-vapors which condense in or upon it. Water-vapor is not infrequently found in the "gaseous orvaporhas contents ofan oil tank, and this, if peritted to exert localized'actionas at seams r joints in the roofis liable to have a disintegrating effect on a cementitious material which, though proof against oil-vapom'lmdthe like, is subject to deterioration by water. Thus, the absorbent layer;2,-by arrestiiig and distributing inits body any water-vapor that may intrude therein, protects the, cementitious' vapor-proof film and preserves it'--1nv tact to perform its function of protecti the Outer asphaltid weatherproof covering om the vapors which woulddisinte ate that covering. Reciprocally, the aspha tic covering protects the vapor-proof film against attack by water coming, from outside the tank.

Another advantage of the invention results from the fire proof character of the silicate of soda film 3 which would resist the further progress of any hot. cinders from an adjacent conflagration which. might melt holes in the superposed waterprooffabric 4.

It is evident that the particular method of carrying out the principle of the above described invention may be'modified to suit varying conditions, thns if the waterproof element of the roof structure needs to be protected from acid fumes generated beneath it, a film of some other material more resistant to such acid fumes might be sub; stituted for the silicate of soda film aboae mentioned. p v

The'partial impregnation of the apex: or other continuous fabric 2 by the si icatie of soda 3, .tendsto increase the degree of 'protection as any cracks which mi ht occur in the pure silicate of soda film rom age or excessive dryness would be less likelytoextend into the saturated or impregnated zone of the paper, and the paperso impregnated" would remain resistant to fumes after the solid silicate of soda 'film had cracked, and would also be slow. burning. The .paper supports the supenposed film of fume resisting material and protects it from any disruptin effect of the ex ansion or contrac tion 0 the boards or 0t er supporting element beneath it.

In the ap ended claims I shall use the word fumes as generically including also vapofis and all gaseous products.

ile but one layer or film of the fumeproof material, and one'layer ofsupporting fabric, are shown in the drawing, it is to I beunderstood, of course, that under severe conditions more "than one each of these might be required'.'

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In a roof ada ted for use over fume generating mate'ria 's, the combination, with the roofdeck, of an upper layer of waterproof, bltuminous, surfacing material susceptible to disintegration by one type-of vapors normallfy present beneath the roof-deck, a layer r00 :1 ainst said type of fumes but suscepti 1e to isintegration by water, said layer comprising a continuous sheet of absorbent fabric and a continuous film of fume-proof material associated with said fabric.

2. In a roof adapted for use over fumegeneratin materials, the combination, with the roofeck, of an u per layer of waterproof bituminous sur acing material sus ceptible to disintegration by one type of vapo'rs normally present beneath the roof deck, and a vapor-proof layer beneath said outer layer, comprising a continuous sheet of absorbent fabric anda continuous film of silicate of soda associatedwith said fabric.

HENRY R. WARDELL. 

